Western cyclone., 1887-05-26
AN INCIDENT OF HISTORY.
How We Once Narrowly Escaped War
with Spain.

How We Once Narrowly Escaped Wa&
With Spain.
Washington Letter in New York World:
Judge Advocate General Remey of the
navy gave me an account the other day OF
an incident which illustrates how much
proud-spirited people will undergo for a
mere question of sentiment. just after the
war Admiral John Rodgers. with a convoy
of three war vessels and the great double
turreted monitor, the M0nadnOc, was sent
TO go around the Horn to visit the Pacific
coast This trip was a test OF the seagolng
qualities of the monitor. The heavy vessel
stood the voyage better even than any OF
the vessels of the fleet. They arrived on
Valpara SO a few months after the war had
closed. Their vessels were manned by
veterans and commanded by one Of the
most courageous officers of the war. The
Spanish authorities at that time had sent
out fleet TO punish Chilli for some insult
TO the Spanish flag. Admiral dodgers
when he steamed around the point into the
bay opposite the city found large fleet of
Spanish mcn-of-war blOckading the harbor.
The Chilians had understood that the
Americans were coming to raise the
blockade The houses in the city were
black with people. Cheer upon cheer
burst upon the air as the four American
vessels swung inside the Spanish line and
anchored in the bay. There was one
other American war vessel in the harbOr al
the time Of the arrival.
Gen. Fitzpatrick had just arrived then
in Chill as our Minister. He came down
10 the flagship and soon made the Amer
leans acquainted with the situation. The
Spanish Admiral had notified the people Of
IL Id Il
the town in four days unless the Chiiians
would run up the Spanish flag at q point
in the harbOr aS salute to the Spanish
fleet. This the Chilian authorities had re-
fused. AS there were large American in
tcrc5ts III the shape Of bonded warehouses
in the city Gen. Fitzpatrick was very ANXIOUS
10 have Admiral Rodgers drive of the
Spanish fleet. Admiral Rodgers was ready
for fight, and said that if the British Ad.
miral, who was there with two or three
vessels, would cooperate with him to di-
vide the responsibility he would go in.
The English had then even larger interests
III the city than the Americans. There
was French Admiral in the harbor at the
time of the Americans arrival, but he stole
out one night without saying o word to
anyone 10 avoid complications. Lord Den.
ham, the British Admiral, agreed to go in.
Admiral Rodgers then had his vessel pre-
pared for action. He foated off the
wooden cabins and hung out chains around
the vessels. The monitor was reduced TO
fighting trim right under the noses of the
Spaniards. Meanwhile the officers of the
Spanish and American fleets were visiting
back and forth. The Spanish Admiral
dined with Admiral Rodgers the night
before the day set for the bombardment.
The Spanish Admiral who was Il very small
but plucky fellow, asked Admiral Rodgers
what he was going 10 do. But before re-
Ceiving his reply the Spaniard sal "Ad.
miral Rodgers, you have made your repu.
tatiOn in the last war of the rebellion in
the States. have mine to make. hereby
notify you that | shall carry out the orders
Of my Government tomorrow morning al
s o'clock as long as have a gun afl0at, d"
and with that he retired The English Ad.
miral tlunked at tie very last moment, and
SO we were spared q serious international
complication because Admiral Rodgers did
not feel like inCuTring the responsibility
alone. He moved outside the line in the
morning, and the Spanards bOmbarded the
town under their very eyes. 4 third of
the town was burned and several million
dollars worth Of property destroyed. But
the Chilians never cried for quarter, and
from the beginning Of the bombardment
to the close there was not the first offer
made to run up the Spanish flag at the
lag-pOst near the harbor.